Pokémon Day Event: How to catch your festive hat Pikachu!

Pikachu is getting a party hat and you can catch ’em celebrating Pokémon Day — starting Feb. 26, 2017!

Pokémon Day is a big event for the Pokémon Co. and this year they’re getting Pokémon Go in on the action! So far, they’ve announced special, limited edition festive Pikachu will be out, about, and available to be caught. Could there be anything else, though?

It’s ‘Pokémon Day’ but it runs from February 26 to March 6? What gives?

Here’s what the Pokémon Co. had to say:

Pikachu is ready to lead the Pokémon Day celebration in Pokémon GO. From February 26 at 1:00 p.m. PST to March 6 at 1:00 p.m. PST, any Pikachu you encounter in the wild will be wearing a festive party hat! The Pikachu you catch during that time will keep its party hat forever, so be sure to look for this special Pikachu during its short time in the wild.

And now Pokémon Go has announced as well:

Did you know February 27 is Pokémon Day? We’ve teamed up with our friends at The Pokémon Company International for their annual celebration of all things Pokémon, and we have a special treat for you this Pokémon Day! From February 26 at 1:00 P.M. PST to March 6 at 1:00 P.M. PST, special Pikachu appearing all over the world will be celebrating Pokémon Day by wearing festive party hats. These special Pikachu will keep their party hats forever, but they can only be found during this limited-time celebration, so make sure to keep an eye out for them as you explore!

Pikachu is ready to celebrate #PokemonDay! From now until 1 p.m. PST on Mar. 6, you can catch this special Pikachu. pic.twitter.com/bs54e7OhlD

Can you track Festive Hat Pikachu?

If you can find a nest or a spawn near a PokéStop, you should be able to track Party Pikachu. I only found them in the wild, but I managed to track many o’ Santa Hats.

Tap the Nearby Tab at the bottom right of the screen.Tap the holiday Pokémon you want to track.

Tap the Footprints button to start tracking.

Once you get to the PokéStop, Pikachu will spawn and you can catch away!

How to track Pokémon with Nearby and Sightings in Pokémon Go

Can you get Party Pikachu from incense or lures?

Again, holiday Pikachu got drawn out by Incense and Lures so that should mean Party-time Pikachu will as well. Just start your incense as you walk, or drop your Lure on a PokéStop, and cross your fingers for a Pikachu.

How to use Incense in Pokémon Go

How to use Lures in Pokémon Go

Can you get Festive Pikachu from an egg?

Pikachu has been replaced in eggs by baby Pichu, and baby Pichu hasn’t been found with a party hat — nor did it get a Santa hat back in December. So, I’d say odds are low. Sadness.

How do you increase your odds of catching Festive Pikachu when you find him?

Pikachu can be notoriously hard to catch. Not Dragonite hard, but certainly not easy. It often has a red target circle, teasing its low catch rate Still, there are things you can do!

Use a Razz Berry. Unlike other bonuses, it’s not dependent on you hitting the target. It’ll work when you do.Throw a Curve Ball. A successfully thrown Curve Ball has a higher catch rate than a Great Ball and almost as good as an Ultra Ball.If you’re going for your first holiday Pikachu, throw Curve Ball with a Great Ball or even Ultra Ball if you have them to spare. The bonuses stack.Go for a Nice, Great, or Excellent throw by nailing the center of the target circle. Again, the bonuses stack.

How to stack bonuses and to catch tough Pokémon in Pokémon Go

Can you get a party hat Raichu? (RaveChu?)

You can’t catch a Party Hat Raichu the same way you catch holiday Pikachu, but you can evolve it from a Party Hat Pikachu. That’s as long as you have 50 Pikachu Candy you’re willing to spend on it.

Tap on the Pokémon ball icon.Tap on the Holiday Pikachu you want to evolve.Tap on Evolve.

Will there be any other Pokémon Day surprises?

Who knows? If updates come, we’ll update with them!

Any Pokémon Day party questions?

If you have any questions about the Pokémon Day event, drop them in the comments below!